Hosted by the Old Y aka CommunityWise Resource Centre, this Anniversary Celebration will mark the 10th anniversary of the G8, the 30th anniversary of the Old Y Centre for Community Organizations, the 40th anniversary of Arusha, and will be an opportunity to celebrate activist history and culture in Calgary.

In this case activism means community organizing for social change and includes social justice, environmental sustainability, human rights and more.

Part of the purpose of the event is to make space for these discussions and draw on our collective histories to fuel our work in the present. (plus it’s a great reason to have a party)

Activist Past-TimesProgram Guide

June 24, 2012

MORNING

10:30am -11:30am Radical Bike Tour (start and end at Old Y front yard)

12pm – 1pm Free Food! – presented by Food Not Bombs (kitchen)

AFTERNOON

Action/Expression12pm – 5pm Art and Environment Activity Stations (common room)Create art from recycled materials! Play with educational puzzles and board games!presented by Sierra Club and Found & Recycled

12pm- 5pm Bike Tune-Up Station – presented by Bike Root (front yard)

Education/Reflection1pm – A little bit of Herstory Workshop- presented by The Women’s Centre (board room)This interactive workshop will take participants through important years and events in the feminist history of Calgary and the Women’s Centre, culminating in the present work of the Women’s Centre’s Social Issues Committee.

2:15pm – Facilitation Workshop – presented by What’s Next? (board room)What’s Next? Is a skill share series that happens every 3rd Monday of the month at the Old Y Common Room. This Facilitation Workshop is a special installment of the series, introducing and practicing the art of facilitating meetings, using consensus based decision-making.

3:30pm – Patriarchy in Activism – presented by the Anarchist Bookfair (board room)This workshop will help you recognize and address sexist behaviour in yourself and others. We will be addressing consent and rape culture, and hopefully inducing self reflection.

The 8 foot Diameter Earth replica was made by Calgary artist, Grant Poier to represent the planet in the march to protest the G8 Summit in 2002. It sat dormant for 9 years and was re-birthed in 2011 for the Bow River Flow Festival produced by Arusha

A 100% volunteer run, community bicycle shop providing tools and knowledge. The Bike Root strives to empower university students and community members with the ability to fix their bikes. The Bike Root will be on site at Activist Past-Times, providing two volunteers and the tools needed for bike repairs.

Food Not Bombs

Food Not Bombs recovers and shares free vegan or vegetarian food with the public without restriction in over 1,000 cities around the world to protest war, poverty and the destruction of the environment. Each group is independent and invites everyone to participate in making decisions for their local chapter using the consensus process.

Cyclepalooza

Cyclepalooza is a community-driven, do-it-yourself bicycle festival held for ten days every June in Calgary. With a variety of bike-related events, Cyclepalooza brings together people of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels through cycling for fun and transportation.

Open Streets Calgary

Open Streets Calgary joins dozens of Open Streets initiatives across North America that promote, awareness for pedestrian, cycling, and other sustainable transportation options as well as, participatory art, fitness, and cultural experiences that encourage a re-imagining of how public spaces (particularly roadways) are regarded and used. Open Streets Calgary will be at festivals all summer long with bike generators, pavement painting, mini bike racing, buttonmaking, and lots more!

The Women’s CentreThe Women’s Centre of Calgary is a unique, street-front organization that provides a variety of services and opportunities to the women of Calgary. The Women’s Centre has been improving the lives of women in Calgary for the past 40 years. The Women’s Centre will be presenting A little bit of Herstory Workshop at Activist Past-Times.

The Sierra ClubThe Sierra Club of Canada’s Chinook Group has been active in Southern Alberta since 2001, believing in the power of the individual to make change. The Sierra Club recognizes that we are not separate from the earth, but are one with it. With that recognition, we believe that it is our responsibility to protect the earth and health of all creatures living here. Come visit The Sierra Club in the common room for some educational board games and puzzles!

Calgary Anarchist BookFairAnarchism draws on all of these things to advocate that we need not be content with the status quo, that positive change is possible, that we need not be slaves to economic or political masters. From this comes the concept of the Anarchist Bookfair, a place where knowledge and ideas are made available, especially those one might not encounter every day. Each year the bookfair gives people are able to access radical books, see independent documentaries and participate in skill-share workshops. Calgary Anarchist Bookfair will be presenting the Patriarchy in Activism workshop at Activist Past-Times.

M:STThe Mountain Standard Time Performative Art Festival (M:ST) is a biennial festival that celebrates innovative and critically engaged performative art in the Southern Alberta region. M:ST ensures that performative art practices are recognized and sustained in the Southern Alberta region. M:ST fosters innovation and collaboration among local, national, and international artistic communities.

EmmediaAn electronic media arts centre established in 1979 and incorporated as a non-profit society in 1983. EMMEDIA is professionally managed and directed by practicing artists; it responds to a broad community by offering affordable access to media art production tools, services, to technical and educational support, and to an array of public exhibition programs

The Arusha CentreThe Arusha Centre is a collectively run, member-supported organisation that provides resources and programming on local and global social justice issues. The Arusha Centre provides many opportunities for community involvement, including Open Streets Calgary, Calgary Dollars and Take Action Grants. The Centre is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary this year and is looking forward to an exciting summer!

What’s Next?What’s Next? Is a skill sharing series based on a popular education model that recognizes we are all learners and we all have skills and knowledge to share. Sessions take place on the third Monday of each month at the Old Y Centre. Past topics have ranged from bread making to medicinal gardening. Come for the potluck at 5:30pm or join us for the session at 6:30pm!

The Raging GranniesThe Raging Grannies are an activist organization in many cities and towns in Canada, the United States. They are social justice activists, all women old enough to be grandmothers, who dress up in clothes that mock stereotypes of older women, and sing songs at protests. They typically write the lyrics themselves, putting their political messages to the tunes of well known songs. Their activism includes peace and environmental causes. The Raging Grannies will perform at 5:30 at The Activist Past-Times BBQ!

We favour collaboration, coalition, cooperation and synergy with other significant events around this time of year, such as:-summer solstice (June 20)-recognition of indigenous rights (aboriginal day June 21)-Sled Island Music Festival (June 20 – 23)-cyclepalooza DIY bicycle festival (June 23 – July 1)-reflect on the community engagement and strategies of the G8 resistance in 2002 (June 26)-recognition of the anniversary of Stonewall and LGBTQ liberation movement (June 28th)